Orion

Orion is a steel roller coaster at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. It is a Hyper Coaster manufactured by Swiss ride designer and builder Bolliger & Mabillard and is themed as a high-speed mission in the park's Area 72 science-fiction setting. With a 287-foot lift hill, a 300-foot first drop, and a top speed of 91 mph, Orion was designed as one of the world's giga coasters, a category generally associated with rides whose height or drop reaches at least 300 feet. The project emerged during Kings Island's planning for a major new attraction to replace Firehawk, a flying roller coaster that occupied the site before Orion. Construction plans were submitted to the City of Mason in early 2019 and approved on April 24 of that year. Cedar Fair also pursued trademarks for the names Orion and Polaris before the attraction was publicly named. Kings Island announced Orion on August 15, 2019, confirming the 300-foot drop and presenting the project as the park's largest investment up to that point. The announcement also included a redevelopment of the former X-Base area, which was renamed Area 72 for the 2020 season. Orion's train design was presented at the 2019 IAAPA Amusement Expo. Rather than using the staggered two-seat arrangement found on many earlier Bolliger & Mabillard coasters, Orion uses four seats across in straight rows. The ride's narrative places guests inside a fictional research compound, where the queue includes offices, outposts, mission materials, and references to other attractions associated with Cedar Fair parks. Riders then ascend the lift hill before plunging down an 85-degree, 300-foot drop. The layout combines a large wave turn, a horseshoe element, several airtime hills, a spiral, and multiple turns before the train returns to the station. Orion completed its first test run in February 2020. Its planned April 11 opening was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the attraction ultimately opened to the public on July 2, 2020, following a media preview the previous day. Its construction investment was reported as $31 million, making it the largest capital project in Kings Island's history at the time. In December 2020, Orion won USA TODAY 10Best's national readers' poll for Best New Amusement Park Attraction. The attraction remains part of Kings Island's major coaster lineup and the Area 72 themed zone.

Orion was developed by Kings Island and its parent operator, Cedar Fair, as a major replacement for Firehawk and as a centerpiece for the park's future Area 72 themed zone. Planning became publicly visible in early 2019, when Kings Island submitted construction documents to the City of Mason. The plans prompted speculation that the project could exceed 300 feet and qualify as a giga coaster. Municipal approval was granted on April 24, 2019. Before the public announcement, Cedar Fair sought national trademarks for Orion and Polaris. Kings Island revealed the chosen name, Orion, at an August 15, 2019 event attended by media and members of the public. The announcement described a Bolliger & Mabillard Hyper Coaster with a 300-foot drop and confirmed that the former X-Base area would be renovated and renamed Area 72. The new zone gave the ride a setting based on fictional research and aerospace activity rather than simply presenting it as a standalone coaster. Bolliger & Mabillard presented Orion's train design at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo in November 2019. The trains departed from the manufacturer's familiar staggered two-seat-row arrangement by using four seats across in straight rows. This configuration supported the ride's large-scale, high-capacity presentation and became one of its notable design characteristics. The ride completed its first test run in February 2020. Kings Island initially planned to open Orion on April 11, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted amusement-park operations and delayed the opening. A media preview took place on July 1, followed by the public opening on July 2, 2020. The attraction was reported to have cost $31 million, making it the largest investment in Kings Island's history when it opened. Orion's physical profile consists of a 287-foot lift hill, an 85-degree first drop measuring 300 feet, and a maximum speed of 91 mph. Its course includes a 174-foot wave turn, a 202-foot horseshoe, three additional airtime hills of different sizes, a trim-brake section, a 125-foot spiral, and further airtime elements before the final brake run. The queue and station extend the Area 72 story through a fictional Fort Mason Research Compound, with office scenery, mission briefings, outpost labels, and references to other attractions. In December 2020, Orion received the top position in USA TODAY 10Best's national readers' poll for Best New Amusement Park Attraction. The recognition reinforced its role as one of Kings Island's signature thrill rides. No major scandal, lawsuit, recall, or bankruptcy associated with the attraction is identified in the supplied reference material.

• 2026

  Temporary precautionary closure

  [7]Axios report on Orion and Diamondback’s 2026 closureaxios.com

  Orion was temporarily closed in October 2026 after a fatal incident on the similar Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia led to a review of comparable attractions.

• 2024

  Corporate ownership moves into Six Flags Entertainment Corporation

  [8]Corporate ownership moves into Six Flags Entertainment Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  The Cedar Fair and Six Flags merger placed Kings Island and Orion within the combined Six Flags Entertainment Corporation portfolio.

• 2020

  Construction and testing advance

  [1]Orion (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org

  Track installation, theming, and testing progressed as Kings Island prepared the new Area 72 section for the 2020 season.

• 2020

  Orion soft-opens

  [1]Orion (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org

  The attraction held a soft opening on July 1, 2020, one day before its scheduled public debut.

• 2020

  Public opening

  [3]Cedar Fair 2020 Form 10-Ksec.gov

  Orion officially opened at Kings Island on July 2, 2020, becoming the park’s first giga coaster and one of the world’s few 300-foot-class coasters.

• 2020

  Pandemic operating procedures introduced

  [5]Amusement Today coverage of Orion’s 2020 operationamusementtoday.com

  Kings Island operated Orion under reduced capacity and revised health and safety procedures, including timed ride access and separated seating practices.

• 2019

  Construction plans submitted to Mason

  [1]Orion (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org

  Kings Island submitted plans to the City of Mason for a large new coaster project on land associated with Firehawk and the former Dinosaurs Alive! attraction.

• 2019

  Mason approves the project

  [1]Orion (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org

  The City of Mason approved the construction plans on April 24, 2019, clearing a major regulatory step for the attraction.

• 2019

  Orion is formally announced

  [1]Orion (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org

  Kings Island announced Orion on August 15, 2019, describing it as a 300-foot-drop giga coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard and the largest investment in the park’s history.

A landmark, high-capacity thrill attraction positioned around giga-coaster scale, high speed, a large drop, expansive views, and a science-fiction research-mission theme.

• Steel giga roller coaster · 2020

  Orion

  Orion is a Bolliger & Mabillard steel roller coaster located in Kings Island’s Area 72. Its defining specifications include a 287-foot lift hill, a 300-foot first drop, a maximum speed of approximately 91 miles per hour, and roughly 5,321 feet of track. The ride has no inversions and focuses on high-speed hills, large turns, airtime, and long visual sightlines. Its open seating and high-capacity three-train operation support Kings Island’s positioning of Orion as a major destination attraction. The surrounding station and queue use a science-fiction research-mission concept based on aerospace exploration and the Orion constellation.

• 2020Orion opening-season promotion

  United States

  Kings Island promoted Orion as one of the world’s newest giga coasters and as a signature experience for the park’s 2020 reopening season.

  Outcome. The attraction opened in July 2020 despite pandemic-related restrictions and became one of the park’s principal headline rides.

  Source
• 2019Orion announcement and Area 72 reveal

  United States

  Kings Island introduced Orion as its headline 2020 attraction through a large-scale announcement emphasizing the 300-foot drop, 91-mph speed, giga-coaster classification, and science-fiction Area 72 setting.

  Outcome. The announcement established Orion as the park’s central new attraction and a major investment within the Cedar Fair portfolio.

  Source

• 2026

  Temporarily close Orion for a precautionary safety reviewOther

  Background

  A fatal incident on the similar Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia led the operator to review comparable attractions and restraint systems.

  Action taken

  Kings Island temporarily closed Orion and Diamondback while the broader safety review proceeded.

  Aftermath

  Reports stated that there was no immediate reopening timeline. The closure was presented as precautionary, and no confirmed Orion-specific accident or defect was identified in the available reports.

  Source

• 2024

  Integrate Orion into the combined Six Flags portfolioM&A

  Background

  Cedar Fair and Six Flags combined their amusement-park businesses, changing the corporate ownership structure of Kings Island.

  Action taken

  Orion remained a Kings Island attraction within Six Flags Entertainment Corporation rather than becoming a separate corporate brand.

  Aftermath

  The attraction continued to be marketed through Kings Island and became part of the enlarged company’s regional amusement-park network.

  Source

• 2020

  Adapt Orion operations for the COVID-19 seasonStrategy

  Background

  Orion opened during a season of reduced park capacity, public-health restrictions, and modified amusement-park operating procedures.

  Action taken

  Kings Island introduced timed access, reduced capacity, separated seating arrangements, reservation procedures, and enhanced cleaning protocols for Orion and the wider park.

  Aftermath

  Orion opened to guests on July 2, 2020, while operating within the park’s pandemic safety framework.

  Source

• 2019

  Approve and announce a new giga coaster for Kings IslandProduct launch

  Background

  Kings Island sought a large-scale attraction that could create a new skyline landmark, replace the former Firehawk experience, and strengthen the park’s reputation for major steel coasters.

  Action taken

  Cedar Fair approved and announced Orion, a Bolliger & Mabillard coaster with a 300-foot drop, a projected 91-mph top speed, and an Area 72 science-fiction theme.

  Aftermath

  The project became the largest investment in Kings Island’s history and opened as the park’s first giga coaster.

  Reported construction investment. $30 million-$31 million (2020 opening project)

  Source

• 2026.08.13

  Reported2026.08.13

  Vanguard launches Custom Model Portfolios for financial advisors[9]Vanguard为财务顾问推出定制模型投资组合investmentnews.com

  Vanguard launched Vanguard Custom Model Portfolios, an offering that lets financial advisors modify the firm's existing multi-asset and single-asset-class model portfolios to reflect individual client preferences. The offering is available through integrations with Vestmark, SS&C Black Diamond Wealth Solutions, and Orion, and carries a weighted average expense ratio of approximately 0.07%.

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2026.08.07

  Orion adds fractional-share trading support[10]Orion新增零碎股交易支持wealthmanagement.com

  Orion integrated fractional share trading into its next-generation trading and rebalancing platform for advisors who custody with Schwab Advisor Services, enabling them to implement client models to the dollar rather than rounding to whole shares.

• 2021.12.15

  Reported2021.12.15

  Orion launches two snack products in India[11]Orion在印度推出两款零食产品business-standard.com

  Orion introduced Strawberry Choco Pie and The Ultimate Choco Chip cookie in India.

Read more

1. 1Orion (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kings Island official websitevisitkingsisland.com
3. 3Cedar Fair 2020 Form 10-Ksec.gov
4. 4Cedar Fair 2020 investor presentations204.q4cdn.com
5. 5Amusement Today coverage of Orion’s 2020 operationamusementtoday.com
6. 6Kings Island executive historykicentral.com
7. 7Axios report on Orion and Diamondback’s 2026 closureaxios.com
8. 8Corporate ownership moves into Six Flags Entertainment Corporationen.wikipedia.org
9. 9Vanguard为财务顾问推出定制模型投资组合investmentnews.com
10. 10Orion新增零碎股交易支持wealthmanagement.com
11. 11Orion在印度推出两款零食产品business-standard.com
12. 12Vanguard Launches Custom Model Portfolios for Advisorswealthmanagement.com